I recently posted about a great yellow cake and said it went so very well with whipped cream.
Well, I did find the whipped cream, infused with herbal scents, thoroughly sophisticated. But the truth is, brian generally likes his cakes frosted. Icing is fine, that thin layer of sugar + something that just coats the cake. But I really crave a deep, thick, rich frosting that smoothers the cake in sugar, flavor color, and texture. Frosting begs to be eaten.
And while chocolate and vanilla frostings will always please, what about something decadently different? This recipe from the book Country Living Great Cakes is just what Brian craves: a subtle flavor, rich, satisfying, and gooey. It’s a diabetic’s dream.
The source of this recipe, Country Living Great Cakes, is a thin gem filled with cake and frosting recipes that will just delight you. I’m on my third summer of just randomly picking a recipe and enjoying the results. When I skim a cookbook, I try to find the nuggets, those special recipes that just stand out. This frosting is one of those. It will work on not just on yellow cake, but devil’s food, vanilla, chocolate, … It would be a treat if used to fill and then coat a roulade.
So, force yourself to make a cake. And then adorn it with this finishing jewel.
Espresso Buttercream Frosting
Makes 4 cups [enough for 24 cupcakes]
Ingredients:
- 2 teaspoons boiling water
- 2 teaspoons espresso powder
- 8 large egg whites
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups unsalted butter (4 sticks) softened
Preparation:
Mix the boiling water and the espresso powder in a small bowl and set aside.
Combine the egg whites and sugar in the large bowl of an electric mixer. Set over, but not touching , a sauce pan of simmering water. Whisk by hand until the sugar melts and mixture reaches 120°F on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat and beat with the mixer set on high speed until soft peaks form. Add the cream of tartar and salt and continue to beat until the mixture is at room temperature. Beat in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Beat in the espresso mixture.
Source: Country Living Great Cakes